You may be looking for cat food, and you have learned about Blue Buffalo cat food. Yet you have not decided whether to process further with this pet food brand. Then you may have concerns to know more about the blue Buffalo, like if there is any recall or complaints about Blue Buffalo. It’s not only in the case of blue Buffalo; we must check each pet food brand before feeding your cat.
Blue Buffalo has marked its flag in the pet food industry as one of the premier manufacturers of best cat food. However, Blue Buffalo has been involved in recalls in its history. Not just one or two times, at least six recalls took place for Blue Buffalo. It is astonishing for customers despite being a premium pet food brand. Though, most dog foods were recalled.
It is not just limited to recall; consumers raised lawsuits against Blue Buffalo. This happened three times, and every lawsuit had different reasons. However, some of the lawsuits were proved right, and some remained rumours since there was no evidence. One lawsuit is still to be settled, and no decision has been made since 2020.
This is concerning after reading this number of recalls and lawsuits. If you look at the customer reviews for Blue Buffalo, there are mixed opinions. However, the cat foods of these brands are prescribed by veterinarians. It seems Blue Buffalo has developed a little trust issue after these cases.
However, we will look more into the history of Blue Buffalo, recalls, and the reasons behind recalls and lawsuits. Also, is it safe for cats? What type of ingredients do they source? Accordingly, we will make the judgment for Blue Buffalo whether it is worth trying or not.
About Blue Buffalo
Bill Bishop was the one who founded Blue Buffalo in 2002. In 1961, Bill graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University and entered a long career in advertising consumer products. Bishop handles the advertising and marketing for big companies like Tropicana, American Express, and Nabisco. Also, he was the co-founder of SoBe until it was sold to Pepsi in 2001.
After that, Bill used his marketing skills in a new project called Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo started the company producing dog food. The dog food was sold overwhelmingly, and it was a successful campaign. After this success, Blue Buffalo decided to add a cat food line along with dog food. As marketing was done skillfully, Blue Buffalo has quickly earned its name in the pet food market as all-natural pet nutrition, premier manufacture. To make cat food, some changes in the basic philosophy of dog food formula are used.
In 2018, Food Giant General Mills acquired the Blue Buffalo Company by offering $8 billion despite this success. Now Blue Buffalo is the leading USA-based pet food company with two more locations in Indiana and Missouri. Blue Buffalo makes premium-quality cat food.
Blue Buffalo Cat Food Recalls
Unfortunately, Blue Buffalo pet food is not recall-free. The recall history of Blue Buffalo is quite active. However, they are not worse than their competitors on the recall based. Also, the quality of their pet food is premium. But, recalls of a pet food company derive a trust of a new consumer. Without going late, let’s see all the recalls one by one.
In 2007
The first recall took place in 2007, related to Blue Buffalo dog food and cat food lines. That time was the 2007 melamine scandal, and blue Buffalo was part of it. Dog and cat food lines were found contaminated with potential melamine.
In 2010
In the second recall, only the Blue Buffalo dog food line was recalled. There were only three different varieties of dog food such as Blue wilderness chicken flavour dog food, Blue Basics LID formula salmon and potato dog food, and Blue life protection formula natural chicken and brown rice dog food. FDA confirmed that these three dog foods contain potentially toxic levels of vitamin D.
In 2015
In May 2015, a cat food product was recalled due to a low level of propylene glycol. FDA forbids the use of Propylene Glycol in cat food because it causes harm to the red blood cells of cats. The recalled product was a 2-ounce bag of Blue kitty yums tasty chicken Recipe cat treat.
In November 2015, Blue Buffalo voluntarily declared a recall of a single batch of dog chewing bones. The presence of salmonella was high in that dog food.
In 2016
In March, Two dog food recipes of Blue Buffalo were recalled because the recipes were contaminated with mould. Pet food recalled was Blue Buffalo life protection formula fish and sweet potato recipe dog food.
In 2017
In February, the FDA announced recalls related to dog foods. Firstly, the products were found to be contaminated with metals potentially. After that, there was an issue with the foil seal on cans. Finally, the products had potentially beef thyroid hormones. The dog food recalled was Blue Buffalo home-style recipe for healthy weight and chicken dinner with garden vegetable dog food.
Lawsuits Against Blue Buffalo pet food
Along with the recalls, a few lawsuits are filed against Blue Buffalo pet food for many reasons. However, some of them are falsely accused. Remember that lawsuits are just unproven controversies, and don’t take them seriously until they are proved with evidence.
May 2014
Purina reported a lawsuit against Blue Buffalo for false advertising of pet food after testing poultry by-product meal was found in some of Blue Buffalo premium pet food. This lawsuit claimed that some products of Blue Buffalo are not consistent with their True Blue promises of using mentioned ingredients. Blue Buffalo also filed a lawsuit against Purina.
After a year, Blue Buffalo was acknowledged in court that some products with false advertising were sold to consumers and had to pay fines in the settlement fund. Thereafter, Blue Buffalo insisted that the pet food broker and supplier were involved in this fault. Wilbur-Elis was behind the supply of ingredients as a broker who imported melamine-tainted protein in 2007 pet food recalls.
June 2017
This lawsuit was filed after a dog, Coco, died due to kidney failure caused by lead poisoning. Blue Buffalo was accused of potentially toxic levels of lead in the pet food. However, this remains a rumour since no evidence came to be seen related to this lawsuit.
June 2019
Blue Buffalo was the sixth pet food brand in the list of 16 brands when the FDA named 16 pet food brands that led to heart issues for pets. These pet food brands are accused of links to the increased risk of DCM in dogs and cats. However, it is still inconclusive, while there is no evidence for this link.
January 2020
Shannon Walton claimed that blue Buffalo is misleading advertising of their dog food. She said her pooch had gained weight after having wilderness rocky mountain dog food. She also accused Blue Buffalo that her tucker is suffering from diabetes and obesity due to excessive carbohydrates in dog food. However, it has not been proven till now.
Blue Buffalo Ingredients
Each recipe of Blue Buffalo makes use of real meat. A great high-quality source of proteins for your cat. Usually, there are various protein sources in a single recipe to provide the necessary amino acid a cat requires in its dietary needs. Your cat will get all the essential protein to keep it healthy and active.
Blue Buffalo’s recipes include fillers like corn. These are contained to provide additional nutrition, such as carbohydrates and fibres. Also, you can find vegetables like peas and potatoes. However, Blue Buffalo recipes are considered grain-free formulas.
Blue Buffalo provides a special kibble line that includes LifeSource Bits. So what are LifeSource Bits? These are the chunks of antioxidants and other nutrients added with the regular kibble.
Also, the fat content in the food can be found between 15-20%. The fat content is derived from real animal meat and is less than the recommended fat level by experts. These recipes are best if you want to control the fat of your cat.
Are All Blue Buffalo Recipes Grain-Free?
Grains are considered for cats in terms of digestion, and also cats cannot derive nutrition from grains. Using grains in the cat foods are a kind of filler. However, it may cause food allergies such as vomiting, gastrointestinal issues, and diarrhea.
So, Blue Buffalo recipes don’t make use of grains. However, it includes some vegetables but in low proportion to the meat.
Consumer Opinions About Blue Buffalo
Looking at the reviews, we found that some consumers are fully satisfied with the Blue Buffalo cat food. However, there are some negative reviews for Blue Buffalo. It is the same as you can’t make everyone happy with how better you do for them. However, they have their reason behind their negative response.
The important thing to note, every cat has a different preference for food. Some cats like to eat fish, whereas some cats are allergic to the fish components. Also, some cats can consume grains in small amounts, and some are sensitive to grains. So it’s not the same for all cats. Therefore there is a wide range of cat food according to your cat’s needs. Let’s have a look at some reviews that are picked up from chewy websites.
Positive Reviews
My cats love this. They have been feeding since they were one year old. I use the kibbles as treats, and they are crazy for it.
I have fed my cat royal canin for years but changed to Blue Buffalo. My cat loves it. I have one bowl containing blue Buffalo, and another is a mix of royal canin and Blue Buffalo. The blue Buffalo is always the empty bowl.
There are many positive reviews for Blue Buffalo. Over 80% of reviews are in favour of Blue Buffalo cat food.
Negative Reviews
I am afraid my 6-year-old cat did want to have this. I tried a couple of times to feed him mixed with other dry food, but he did not like it. I purchased the small bag, so I am glad about that and will see if my neighbour’s cat will like it or not.
After giving this food to my cat, I noticed that the litter box was wet. This never happened before, and I will not feed this food anymore to my cat.
It smells awful, according to my cat, who tried to spit it out on the floor. It must be awful for my cat.
Neutral Reviews
Blue Buffalo makes fantastic grain-free cat food, but for the rescue community, it’s pricey.
Ok, So there is nothing special as per my cats in this cat food. Though they eat it, they don’t get anything in it. It is not junk, so I am not excited. Happy enough that they eat it.
My cat doesn’t seem to like this cat food as his previous food. So I need to evaluate this for a longer time.
Is Blue Buffalo Cat Food Safe For Cats?
All the recipes of Blue Buffalo use a natural blueprint, meaning they make use of real meat. Also, Blue Buffalo is at the higher end of the pet food market. All cat foods are complete and well-balanced to keep your cat healthy and fit.
It can be considered that Blue Buffalo cat foods are safe for cats. Also, the recipes are designed to help with medical conditions. So vets also recommend some cat food from Blue Buffalo. However, it is pricey for customers but worth it trying.
Conclusion – Is Blue Buffalo a Bad Choice For Cats?
In short, if you feed Blue Buffalo cat food, it will always assist your cat in keeping fit and fine. There may be many recalls for Blue Buffalo, but it is nothing to worry about since they have improved their cat food formulas. Cats seem to love it over other pet foods.
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